Reviews: Fox Chapel Publishing

This book review is from the June-July 2011 issue of our LumberJocks’ eMag
Fox Chapel Publishing is donating another book for a free draw!Whittling Little Folk by Harley Refsal
In the informative yet humorous opening to this great little book, the author discusses the difference between whittling and carving. I would interpret his distinction as “a rose by any other name is still a rose”: it’s all about cutting away pieces of wood.
The book, “Whittling Little ...

This review is from the August 2011 issue of the LJ eMag.
Fox Chapel Publishing is donating another book for a free draw! (See below for details)The Big Book of Intarsia Woodworking
I am giving this book on Intarsia a “4” rating not because it isn’t a great book but because most of the patterns I have seen before in scroll saw magazines. (My sunflower fairy door is one example)
Filled with over 30 projects, if you aren’t a regular purchaser of magazines then t...

This book review is from the September 2011 issue of our LumberJocks’ eMag
Fox Chapel Publishing is donating another book for a free draw! (See below for details)Woodcarving Noah's Ark by Shawn Cipa.
The song, “If I were a carpenter”, keeps running through my head, except with a little editing of the words… .”If I were a woodcarver” – oh what a great book to have!!
Not only does the book provide detailed instructions (including wonderful photos) to...

I’ve been going through my woodworking videos and rewatching them while I work out on the exercise bike. This one by Jim Kingshott is a wonderful video that takes you through the use of almost every specialty plane you could encounter. This video complements his bench plane video that I reviewed previously.
I own most of the handplane related videos on the market other than ones by Rob Cosman. For some reason, I do not own a single video from Rob. I guess have a similar reaction t...

This book review is from the September 2011 issue of our LumberJocks’ eMag
Fox Chapel Publishing is donating another book for a free draw! (See below for details)Handcarved Christmas from the editors of Woodcarving Illustrated
Looking at the cover image I first thought that this book would be for advanced carvers only but as I looked through the different projects, with the in-depth directions and step-by-step photos I changed my mind. Although the projects are from simple to complex, e...

This book review is from the November 2011 issue of our LumberJocks’ eMag
Fox Chapel Publishing is donating another book for a free draw! (See below for details)Pinewood Derby by Troy Thorne
I was really excited when I first saw this book – the graphics just look like so much fun. I couldn’t wait to see what was inside. Inside, I was not disappointed. Not only does it include wonderful, very clear photos for the step-by-step process of building a derby car, but there are als...

This review is from the February 2012 issue of our LJ eMag
Fox Chapel Publishing is donating another book for a free draw! (See below for details)Creative Wooden Boxes from the Scroll Saw
This book is up in the top 10 of my favourite woodworking books!!
The projects are so, well, creative!! Imagine a box that looks like a pie, yes, a good ol’ apple pie! And not only is it cute as “pie” but useful too, it is a box, remember. AND if you are handy with the scroll saw ...

This review is from the March 2012 issue of our LJ eMag
Fox Chapel Publishing is donating another book for a free draw! (See below for details)
The Big Book of Whittle Fun by Chris Lubkemann is a little “big book” filled with a “wot of whittlin’ fun”. Small in stature (a great size for taking with you when planning on doing a little whittling) but big in content!
This book has over thirty projects and is an inspiration for many more.
Games – che...

This book review is from the April 2012 issue of our LumberJocks’ eMag
Fox Chapel Publishing is donating another book for a free draw! (See below for details)Bird-Friendly Nest Boxes & Feeders by Paul Meisel
At first glance I thought, “oh.. these are pretty plain birdhouses” but once I started reading I was very impressed. This is an excellent book for someone interested in building birdhouses and feeders, as it contains a wealth of knowledge about the why’s an...

This book review is from the July 2012 issue of our LumberJocks’ eMag
Fox Chapel Publishing is donating another book for a free draw! (See below for details)Woodcarving Magic by Bjarne Jespersen
This book has me scratching my head.
Woodcarving Magic – while I think all woodworking projects are magical in themselves, this book focuses on creating those items that have free floating pieces inside of other pieces. There are the interlocking chains, of course, but what about a dode...